Dear Members of the AERA Bilingual Education Research SIG and the Bi-/Multilingual Education Academic Community,

Warm greetings from Texas Tech University!

First and foremost, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to those who have made it possible for me to assume the role of Chair of this organization (2025-2026), sponsored by the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Given that this position is not the result of a self-nomination, the responsibility it entails is even greater, requiring a form of leadership deeply rooted in the needs and aspirations of our tireless academic and professional community.

The leadership entrusted to me would not be possible without the collective support of those who sustain this organization each day through their dedication, vision, and hard work. I am especially grateful to the many individuals who have generously shared their time and expertise through exemplary volunteer service across the SIG, including on the Award Committees, Executive Team, and Working Groups.

With deep appreciation, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Magdalena Pando (Southern Methodist University) and Dr. Zhongfeng Tian (Rutgers University–Newark), who have served in multiple leadership capacities—including Program Chair/Chair-Elect, Chair, and, in the case of Dr. Pando and now Dr. Tian, Past Chair—for their outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment during their respective terms. At the same time, we warmly welcome the newest members of the SIG Executive Team: Dr. Suzanne García, Program Chair/Chair Elect (California State University Monterey Bay), and Dr. Susana Ibarra Johnson, Communications/Social Media Chair (New Mexico State University). We are also deeply grateful for the continued dedication and service of our returning Executive team members: Dr. Rouhollah Aghasaleh, Parliamentarian (Cal Poly Humboldt); Dr. Cori Salmerón, Historian (Georgia State University); and Dr. Minhye Son, Secretary/Treasurer (California State University – Dominguez Hills).

As we move forward into this new phase, we acknowledge the ongoing and emerging challenges before us. The current political climate—shaped by ethnocentric rhetoric and anti-immigrant sentiment and actions—has already begun to affect the very institutions that have long supported our mission to advance bi-/multilingualism in public education and across broader U.S. society. In this context, we are called to reaffirm our commitment to defending the human, educational, and linguistic rights of students and community members who, in the words of the renowned anthro-political linguist, Professor Ana Celia Zentella (Emerita, University of California San Diego), "do not dream 'the American Dream' in English-Only."

Yet not all challenges arise solely from restrictive political or ideological contexts. As an academic field, it is essential that we create spaces for courageous, critical, and collective self-reflection on significant issues affecting the realization and ongoing development of our mission and vision in light of contemporary exigencies. To support this process, and in alignment with Professor Maisha T. Winn's (Stanford University) 2026 AERA Presidential Program Theme, "Unforgetting Histories and Imagining Futures: Constructing a New Vision for Education Research," we could begin by considering the following preliminary guiding questions:

1. How can we build a more inclusive academic and professional community at both national and international levels?

2. What role can research in educational innovation play in promoting strong and high-quality bi-/multilingual education? [1]

3. What innovative research methodologies and new lines of inquiry should be explored for the continued advancement of the field?

4. What roles can languages other than English play in (a) the production of scholarship in bi-/multilingual education, [2] (b) the preparation of bi-/multilingual teachers, and (c) the development of instructional materials for PK–12 classrooms?

5. What new spaces and approaches for accessible and democratic dissemination of knowledge and research findings in our field—beyond the traditional academic journal article—should we prioritize as committed 21st-century scholar-researchers and advocates?

6. What new models of advocacy and activism could we develop? Is this a timely moment for “consciousness-raising” and “movement-building,” as Kumashiro (2020) invites us to consider? [3]

7. What transformations are needed in PK–12 bi-/multilingual teacher education and professional development to advance the field in regionally, nationally, transborder, and internationally-globally relevant and sustaining ways?

8. What transformations are necessary in bi-/multilingual education doctoral education to ensure our programs remain relevant and responsive to the complex demands of the 21st century, particularly in preparing graduates to navigate the challenges of becoming multilingual, internationally-globally engaged, and critically conscious scholar-researchers?

9. Should we look beyond our borders for inspiration from successful practices in the implementation and treatment of bi-/multilingual education? 

10. How could the AERA Bilingual Education Research SIG become a radically humanizing, authentic, non-competitive, and ethical space for dialogue, action, and 'inter-being' transformation in our field? [4]

In light of this, I warmly invite us to participate in two important activities designed to spark collective dialogue and help shape the BER SIG’s programming for the 2025–2026 academic year: (a) please take a moment to complete the BER SIG Annual Survey, and (b) register for the BER SIG Town Hall, scheduled for Friday, August 22nd at 12:00 p.m. CDT.

As we look ahead to the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, I encourage us to take time to read the "Call for Proposal Submissions," thoughtfully (and mainly) crafted by our Program Chair/Chair Elect, Dr. Suzanne García (CSU Monterey Bay). Her vision provides a strong foundation for what promises to be a timely and impactful gathering.

In this same spirit, I also invite state and national organizations that support bi-/multilingualism in education and U.S. society to join us in shaping the path forward. [5] With open doors and open hearts, we welcome your collaboration. Together, our goal is to continue strengthening our field in ways that are collaborative, meaningful, relevant, and intentionally responsive to "the signs of the times."

With appreciation and a continued commitment to fostering inclusive and shared leadership-governance,

c.a.s.

Cristian Aquino-Sterling, Ph.D.
Chair, Bilingual Education Research SIG (2025–2026)

[1] See Klein, E. (Host). (2025, May 13). We have to rethink the purpose of education [Audio podcast episode]. In The Ezra Klein Show. The New York Times. (Suggested by Staci Tharp, Doctoral Candidate in Language Diversity and Literacy Studies at Texas Tech University).     

[2] (a) Arbuckle, A., Adema, J., & Ortega, É. (2024). Editors’ gloss: The problem with monolingualism in academic knowledge production. The Journal of Electronic Publishing, 27(1). (b) Adema, J., Arbuckle, A., & Ortega, É. (2024). Glosa de las editoras: El problema del monolingüismo en la producción de conocimiento académico. The Journal of Electronic Publishing, 27(1). (c) Adema, J., Arbuckle, A., & Ortega, É. (2024). Glossaire de l'éditeur: Le problème du monolinguisme dans la production du savoir universitaire. The Journal of Electronic Publishing, 27(1). (d) Neylon, C., & Kramer, B. (2022, June 28). Language diversity in scholarly publishing. Commonplace. (e) See other works in: Adema, J., Arbuckle, A., & Ortega, É. (Eds.). (2024). Special issue: Multilingual publishing and scholarship. Journal of Electronic Publishing, 27(1). 

[3] Kumashiro, K. (2020). Surrendered: Why progressives are losing the biggest battles in education. Teachers College Press.

[4] Inner Development Goals: Inner Growth for Outer Change.

[5] American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) - American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) - Arizona Association for Bilingual Education (AABE) - Association of Two-Way & Dual Language Education (ATDLE) - Austin Area Association for Bilingual Education (AAABE) - Bilingual - ESL Education Association of the Metroplex (BEAM-DFW) - Bilingual Schools Association (BISA-USA) - California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) - California Association for Bilingual Teacher Education (CABTE) - Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) - Carolina Association for Bilingual Education (CARBE) - Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) - Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) - Center for Equity and Biliteracy Education Research (CEBER) - Colorado Association for Bilingual Education (COCABE) - Colorín Colorado (COCO) - CUNY-NYS Initiative on Emergent Bilinguals (CUNYNYSIEB) - CUNY Initiative on Immigration and Education (CUNY-IIE) - Dual Language Education of New Mexico (DLeNM) -Florida Association for Bilingual Education (FABE) - Graduate Association of Bilingual Educators (GABE) - Idaho Association for Bilingual Education (IABE) - Illinois Association of Multilingual Multicultural Education (IAMME) - International and Comparative Bi-/Multilingual Education Research Group (ICBERG) - Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) - Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) - Kansas World Language Association (KWLA) - Massachusetts Association of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages (MATSOL) - Minnesota TESOL (MinneTESOL) - Monterey Institute for English Learners (MIEL) - Multilingual Education International (MLE International) - Multilingual Learning Research Center (MLRC) -Multistate Association for Bilingual Education, Northeast (MABENE) - National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) - National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) - National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) - New Jersey TESOL/NJ Bilingual Educators (NJTESOL/NJBE) - New Mexico Association for Bilingual Education (NMABE) - New York State Association for Bilingual Education (NYSABE) - The Bueno Center for Multicultural Education (BCME) - Teaching of English to Students of Other Languages International Association (TESOL) - The WIDA Consortium (WIDA) - Texas Association for Bilingual Education (TABE) - Utah Foreign Language Association (UFLA) - Washington Association for Bilingual Education (WABE).